Tubing head or hanger



Jan. 4, 1938. E. BARKER 2,104,180

TUBING HEAD 0R HANGER Filed April 10, 1937 Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.104.180 TUBING HEAD on HANGER Ernest L. Barker, Houston, Tex.

Application April 10,

4 Claim.

This invention relates to tubing heads or ,hangers,

means for holding such a head or hanger in locked position so as to prevent the tubing hanger of a locking ring made in sections backed by springs so that when the tubing hanger is put in place the ring sections will snap outwardly'into 1 a groove in the casing head. Associated with this is a screw device for releasing the locking ring when the parts are to be separated, as more fully described hereinafter.

The. invention is illustrated in 15 ing drawing in which:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the parts. Fig. 2 isa section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail in section of the releasing screw. Referring particularly to the drawing, 6 indicates a casing head which, may be of any suitable or desired construction. It has a tapered seat 1 at the upper end 01' its bore, and below this is an annular groove 8 extending around the bore. 25 The tubing head or hanger is indicated at 9 and it is tapered at the top to fit the seat I. In the form shown, the top of the hanger is flush with the top of the casing head, which permits the use of the accompanya seal ring such as shown in my pending applica- 80 tion, Serial-No. 100,409 which matured into Patent No. 2,087,179. However, this is a mere matter of choice.

Below the taperedpart of the head the hanger has a circumferential groove l0 which is under- 85 cut as indicated at H to receive and retain the locking ring l2, which in the form shown, is

made in two sections or segments. A retainer ring I I 3is provided, which may be welded in place, to permit the insertion of the locking ring sections,

40 and to retain the same after welding. The locking ring sections are beveled at their outer lower corners,'as indicated at M, to assist the compression of the rings as the tubing hanger is lowered into, the casing head. The locking ring sections are normally expanded by springs l between the ends of the sections, which tend to snap the locking ring outwardly into engagement in the groove 8, as will be understood.

Below the locking ring the hanger 9 is preferably provided with rubber packing l6 seated in a groove around the hanger and expansible by 1 pressure admitted into the groove from below to prevent any fluid or gas under pressure ironi' 55 escaping through the, joint between the casing" casing head and into the groove therein, and

head and the hanger.

(Dbvibusly when the hanger casing'head the ring segments l2 will contract until they reach the groove 8 when they will snap out by the pressure 0! the springs to lockand has for its object to provide improved is let down into the 1931, Serial No. 136,200

ing engagement with the casing head. This will effectively prevent the tubing hangerfrom being blown out by pressure. For releasingthe locking ring, to permit the withdrawal of the hanger, Iprovide screw devices as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, of which four are shown, two for each segment. Each of these screws is tapped through a boss 6a. on the outside of the casing head 6, the screws I! each having an extension |.8 at its inner end which by advancing the screws will force the ring section l2 inwardly against the tension of the springs i5, until its outer edge is disengaged from the groove 8. In this position the shoulder 19 on the screw will stop against the shoulder 20 in the bore, so that the screw cannot be set in too far. When the locking ring is to be engaged the screw is backed out until its shoulder 2| seats against a plug 22 screwed into a counterbore 23 and around the stem 24 of the screw. 1

It will be seen that by setting in the screws in the-manner described the locking ring sections i2 will contract sufliciently to unlock the hanger from the casing head.

Thelocking ring is of the floating type. That is, it is free to move in and out and is not subject to inoperativeness due to sand packing in the groove and around the ring, a defect to which some other locking devices are subject.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with av casing head having an internal annular groove, and a tubing hanger having. an external annular groove, of a locking ring mounted in the groove in the hanger and comprising a plurality springs between the ends of the segments tending to expand the same into locking engagement with'the groove in the casing head. 7

2. The combination stated in claim 1, the groove in the hanger being undercut and the inner part of the segments being retained by engagement with the undercut.

3. The combination with a. casing head having an internal annular groove, and a tubing hanger having a tapered seat in the casing and an external ann groove below said seat, of a looking ring mounted in the groove in the hanger and comprising a plurality of segments and springs tending to expand the same outwardly to locking engagement with the groove in the casing head.

4. The combination stated ,in claim 3, and screws tapped radially through the wall of the ERNEST L. BARKER.

out of of segments and 

